I met Esther at Focus while studying in Adelaide, and while I didn’t get to know her very well, I remember her smile, her wry sense of humour, her direct way of speaking, her sharp wisdom and her deep faith.
Now, I live and work in remote SA and I regularly drive the road where Esther passed away. Every road trip without fail, I remember her. As I drive I thank God for the blessing that Esther’s life was to others around her, and I am reminded of the precious fragility of my own life: that every day I am given is a gift to be celebrated and lived to the fullest.
I wonder if Esther loved the outback as I now do – with her adventurous spirit I’m sure she must have. The spectacular sunsets; how the grey lifeless scrub turns green in summer storms; the incredible diversity of wildlife you see as the sun sets, if you watch for it; the strength, kindness and community spirit of country people.
And at the same time it is unimaginably hard working away from friends and family, isolated and with limited resources. I will always have a deep gratitude for remote doctors like Esther, who choose the path less traveled to help communities that desperately need them.
Esther, I will continue to remember you, and I will make a donation to the RFDS each year on your birthday, so your legacy may live on.
- B